(1) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a light which is adapted for immersion in water.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
There are a large number of applications for lights which are required to operate below the water level, e.g. in swimming pools, boatramps, slipways and naval testing tanks. The difficulty with such applications is the important requirement that any swimmer in contact with the water does not receive a fatal or paralysing shock if a power leakage from the light occurs.
To try to overcome this problem, the lamps are usually provided in boxes or recesses provided with a transparent panel. This has not proved successful as it is extremely difficult, if not impossible, to ensure and maintain a watertight seal between the panel and the box or recess to prevent ingress of water into the box or recess. When the water enters the box or recess and comes into contact with the electrical wiring, either the protection fuse or the lamp are blown. At the same time, an electric current may pass through the water which is sufficient to paralyse an operator and cause him to drown. Elaborate gaskets and seals have been proposed to provide a watertight seal but all of these are prone to failure and it is difficult to re-establish the seal if the panel has to be removed and refitted, e.g. to enable a blown lamp to be replaced.